Published 16:05 IST, September 6th 2020

US: Several pro-Trump parade boats sink in Lake Travis after 'all started moving at once'

Boats began to sink due to choppy water conditions, turbulent waves, and needed a rescue, US Austin-Travis County Emergency Medical Services officials said.

World News
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On September 5, “several” boats sank at Lake Travis, located west of Austin, Texas while participating for an election parade in support of President Donald Trump, according to the Travis County Sheriff's Office. The boats began to sink due to the choppy water conditions, turbulent waves, and immediately needed a rescue, Austin-Travis County Emergency Medical Services officials said in an AP report. Travis County Sheriff's Office "responded to multiple calls involving boats in distress during the Trump parade on Lake Travis. Several boats did sink," the office tweeted.

Hundreds of pontoon boats, sailboats, and yachts with “Trump 2020” flags all “started moving at once” and were swallowed by rapids, shattering the flotilla of Trump. At least, a minimum of 4 boats wrecked completely, meanwhile the rest collided with rocks, the state authorities confirmed. No casualties were reported. “There are no reports of fatalities or injuries and investigators have not determined how many boats sank on the lake near Austin,” sheriff's spokesperson Kristen Dark said. He added, “We have no reason to suspect foul play in any of these sinkings,” indicating no foul play or intentional act, while the investigation was ongoing to identify the cause.

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Meteorologist Paul Yura with the National Weather Service in Austin/San Antonio said in an AP report that no storms were reported in the area at the time the boats began sailing. At the time winds were generally 10 mph (16 kph) or less, she added. “The lake should be fairly navigable, without issue at those wind speeds," Yura said. At approximately 19,000-acre (7,689 hectares) impoundment about 12 miles (19 kilometers) northwest of Austin, Lake Travis is a tank on the Colorado river, quite popular for boating, fishing, swimming.

Great deal of distress

As per local media reports, the “Lake Travis Trump Boat Parade” had the officers expecting a level up in the range of activities on the waterbody, however, the parade ended up in a great deal of distress signal. Dark reportedly said that shortly when the vessels all began moving simultaneously, large wakes were created on the water, while the boats collapsed, no medical emergency situations were reported with respect to participants, Christa Stedman, a spokesperson for Austin-Travis County Emergency Medical Services reportedly said. The parade was marketed on Facebook and had urged for boats of “all sizes and shapes” to participate.